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former
/ˈfɔːrmər/
previous in time or position
She is the former CEO of the company.
She was the CEO before the current one.
formal
Having previously been a particular thing or held a particular position
The former president gave a speech at the event.
The president who served before the current one spoke.
In the former case, the outcome was different.
In the previous situation mentioned, the result was not the same.
Used to describe someone or something that held a role or status in the past but no longer does.
formal
The first of two things mentioned
Of the two options, I prefer the former.
Of the two things mentioned, I like the first one better.
Often used in contrast with 'latter' to refer to the first of two items.
Collocations
former presidenta president who served before the current oneformer employeea person who used to work at a companyformer studenta person who has graduated from a schoolformer homea place where someone lived previously
Pro Tip
Avoid confusion with 'formal'
Remember: 'former' refers to time or position, while 'formal' means official or ceremonial. Example: 'She attended the formal event' (official) vs. 'She is the former CEO' (previous).
Gold Rule
Position in sentence
'Former' usually appears before the noun it modifies (e.g., 'former colleague') or after a linking verb (e.g., 'She was former CEO').
Word Origin
From Middle English 'former', from Old English 'forma' (first), from Proto-Germanic '*fruma-', related to 'first'. Cognate with Old High German 'fruma' (advantage) and Dutch 'voornaam' (first).
Usage Notes
1. 'Former' is typically used before a noun (e.g., 'former employee'). 2. Do not confuse with 'formal' (related to official rules or ceremonies). 3. In legal or academic writing, 'former' is preferred over 'ex-' (e.g., 'former spouse' vs. 'ex-spouse').
Word Breakdown
form-
first, primary
root-er
comparative suffix (though not comparative in meaning here)
suffixEnglish Dictionary